Robust off-grid analyser for autonomous remote in-situ monitoring of nitrate and nitrite in water

An off-grid, internet-of-things (IoT) connected ion chromatography analyser was developed for the real-time automated measurement of nitrate and nitrite levels in remote surface water applications. The system used KOH eluent with an AG15 guard column to achieve anion separation, in combination with...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Simon Bluett, Paul O'Callaghan, Brett Paull, Eoin Murray
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-08-01
Series:Talanta Open
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266683192200090X
Description
Summary:An off-grid, internet-of-things (IoT) connected ion chromatography analyser was developed for the real-time automated measurement of nitrate and nitrite levels in remote surface water applications. The system used KOH eluent with an AG15 guard column to achieve anion separation, in combination with a selective 235 nm UV-LED detector. A self-cleaning 3D printed Sediment Trap was developed to filter the sample before analysis, preventing silt and sediment from causing blockages and facilitating robust performance during long-term deployments. Laboratory tests showed reductions of up to 91% of total suspended solids and 61% of turbidity within the sample after a settling time of 5 min. In controlled temperature tests (7 to 40 °C), the average error in the detected concentration levels remained below 5%, indicating robust and repeatable performance of the analyser in varying environmental conditions. Two automated in-situ analysers were deployed at remote locations in West Cork, Ireland, for a period of one month. The deployments successfully demonstrated the capability of the system to detect transient pollution events, facilitating improved water-quality management of remote catchments. The analysers were monitored in real-time using a cellular IoT module and cloud-based dashboard.
ISSN:2666-8319